Chapter 82
[Hidden condition achieved!]
[Unique Ability: Cursed Necromancer – Hidden Condition met!]
[Condition: Law of Ten Thousand Command!]
– Immense effort is required to raise the grade of your unique ability!
– Command a total of ten thousand Skeletons, regardless of type!
‘Law of Ten Thousand Command?’
That sounded familiar.
‘Wasn’t it the Law of Ten Thousand Uses?’
[Condition: Law of Ten Thousand Uses!]
– Immense effort is required to raise the grade of your unique ability!
– Use the skill ‘Summon Ordinary Skeleton’ (E-rank) ten thousand times!
Right, that’s it.
It was the same condition I met back when I awakened during the Orc encounter as an E-rank Hunter.
Ah.
The system really seems to like the number ten thousand, doesn’t it?
‘It definitely loves giving everything a sense of legitimacy.’
Now it was certain.
Awakening didn’t rely on just one condition.
If I had to reach A-rank ‘only’ through that Law of Ten Thousand Command… wouldn’t that be unfair?
How could I possibly lead ten thousand Skeletons when I didn’t even have a skill or method to do so?
‘It must’ve been granted by that mysterious being.’
That I was now allowed to become A-rank.
That the requirements had been fulfilled.
That this level suited my strength.
‘Anyway.’
Those thousand Skeletons I had already commanded, now frozen under the Blizzard—combined with the nine thousand newly raised Skeletons—must have been counted together to make ten thousand.
Fine by me.
[Congratulations!]
[Your rank has risen to A-rank!]
A brilliant white aura enveloped my body.
At last, I had reached the realm of an A-rank!
[Reward granted for rank advancement!]
Good.
Now, give me that extra life first.
[Energy restored!]
[Energy: 220/220]
“Yes!”
I shouted.
The greatest perk of awakening during battle was this—
Energy restored, injuries healed, fatigue erased.
But the benefits didn’t stop there.
“My lord… I feel I’ve taken a step closer to my true strength.”
“At this rate… I think I could take down a Lich on my own.”
Crash! Swish!
Sunny’s spear strikes and Eldrin’s rapid shots burst forth.
Even the Liches began retreating before their renewed ferocity.
Boom!
Bone Four charged.
Whoosh! Slash!
Bone One followed.
Fwoosh!
Bone Five too, eyes burning fiercely, lunged forward.
[Skill ‘Summon Great Skeletons’ (B-rank) has been upgraded!]
[Skill has evolved into ‘Summon Skeleton Knights’ (A-rank)!]
Skeleton Knights!
Yes—these were no longer mere Skeletons.
They had been granted the title of “Knight.”
And in addition—
[A new Skeleton’s primary weapon has been designated!]
[Designated Skeleton: ‘Bone Seven’]
[This Skeleton will now respond to your command!]
“Bone Seven too?”
Another seal had been lifted.
To fully awaken him I’d need another medium quest, but for now—
More firepower was always welcome.
‘I’ll deal with Bone Seven later.’
For now, I felt overwhelmed by the sudden flood of control.
Honestly, it was dizzying.
My own ‘Bones’ were one thing, but—
Wooooong…!
Nine thousand Skeletons were charging toward the Liches, eyes glowing red.
[Your presence empowers all Skeletons under your command.]
They were no longer ordinary.
Stronger and more relentless than they were in life—
All because of me.
Because of the aura emitted by my title.
—Kieeeek!
The Liches panicked, unleashing their spells.
But within the Skeletons’ glowing eyes—
There was emotion.
—Because of you.
—Because of your undead army.
—We died.
—Now you’ll die too.
—We, too, are undead now, and we will tear you apart for eternity.
Their flesh was gone, but hatred burned deep in their bones.
Hatred for the Liches.
And gratitude toward me—for giving them this chance.
Their emotions struck my heart.
I could feel them.
[All ten thousand Skeletons sincerely serve you.]
Creak! Crack!
Even as their bones melted under the Liches’ spells,
Even as their skulls shattered and joints snapped,
They charged relentlessly—
Driving their weapons into the Liches’ bodies.
[Not only ruler of Skeletons, but recipient of their loyalty.]
[You are the Skeleton King.]
Skeleton King? (T/N: I thought Lord is higher than King? Or probably in noble terms King is higher than a Lord?)
“…!”
My eyes widened as I hastily opened my status window.
[Hunter: Joo Donghoon]
[Title: Skeleton King]
[Energy: 220/220]
[Unique Ability: Cursed Necromancer]
[Rank: A]
[Effect]
– You are a Necromancer who commands the souls of the dead, subduing enemies with fearsome spirits and toxins. However, you are cursed.
– You can summon only Skeletons.
[Skills]
– Summon Skeleton Knights (A-rank)
– Memory Reenactment (S-rank)
– Legacy of the Ten Thousand Arts (S-rank)
– Pain Resistance (S-rank)
– Slash (B-rank)
– Pierce (B-rank)
– Shoot (B-rank)
– Guard (B-rank)
– Supreme Azure Mind Method (S-rank)
– Resurrection of the Dead (A-rank)
– Wail of the Dead (A-rank)
Ah.
My title had changed.
No longer Skeleton Lord—now a step higher, Skeleton King.
‘And on top of that…’
Two new skills.
‘Resurrection of the Dead’ and ‘Wail of the Dead.’
[Skill: Resurrection of the Dead]
[Rank: A]
[Effect 1: Summon up to ten thousand Skeletons. Requires nearby corpses.]
[Effect 2: Consumes 50 Energy.]
[Skill: Wail of the Dead]
[Rank: A]
[Effect 1: Doubles all stats of nearby Skeletons.]
[Effect 2: Consumes 50 Energy.]
“Holy…!”
A shiver ran down my spine.
A skill to summon ten thousand Skeletons—
And a mass buff on top of that?
Yes.
This was what a true Necromancer should be!
At the very least, one who ruled the dead ought to command this much power!
It was awe-inspiring.
My eyes stung with emotion.
Wooooong!
I raised my staff.
[Using skill ‘Resurrection of the Dead’ (A-rank).]
[Consumes 50 Energy.]
What’s the point of getting a new skill if you don’t use it right away?
“Rise, my Bones!”
There were plenty of corpses.
Over thirty thousand fallen soldiers—
Only ten thousand had been used so far.
Crackle!
The world turned white with frost.
Even with the endless army already here, twice that number began rising.
“…This is your true potential?”
Even Ranker Lee Seonah’s jaw dropped at the sight.
“Black Sword, I think it’s time you stop calling me Lord.”
“King…”
Yes, I was the King.
The King of white bones. The King of Skeletons.
Rumble!
The earth trembled.
Like a swarm of ants devouring prey,
The white army engulfed the Liches.
‘This is…’
I was awestruck.
Even a Ranker would struggle to stand against such might.
At this point, wasn’t I Ranker level myself?
Of course—
There was still one more step.
[Using skill ‘Wail of the Dead’ (A-rank).]
[Consumes 50 Energy.]
Uwoooooh…!
A ghostly roar burst from within me, spreading like a shockwave.
It rippled outward like waves across still water.
Every Skeleton’s stats and speed doubled without penalty.
“I underestimated you, Lord… no, Skeleton King.”
Lee Seonah joined the front line, lowering her blade into position.
Thanks to the swarming Skeletons, she could strike freely.
“Your potential… might even surpass the Cult Leader’s.”
“Cult Leader?”
“Yes. Hase Ra, the Heavenly Demon. The one who taught me the Black Sword Flight Technique.”
“…?”
Someone capable of teaching martial arts like that?
Unbelievable.
‘Well.’
Between the Elder of the Ten Thousand Arts and my ridiculous skill set,
I shouldn’t judge others by my own logic.
The world was vast, full of prodigies.
And if I remembered right, Hase Ra ranked third in the world.
“In any case, you kept your promise.”
She smiled faintly—her first since the dungeon turned into this chaos.
“You upheld the promise of the Five Stars of Seoul.”
Crash!
Her blade fell upon the Liches once more.
Though her movements had slowed from before, she was still a Ranker—
Her strikes were devastating.
“You also overcame the trial this dungeon gave you. Just like you said you would.”
Slash!
The wave of Skeletons crashed down upon the Liches again,
A white tide so vast that the Liches were no longer visible.
“To be honest, at first I agreed to help mostly because I was friends with the Shadow Empress. It was her recommendation.”
Whoooosh!
Another blizzard blew forth.
One of the remaining Liches had spent all its energy to unleash it.
“But this time is different. I saw it myself.”
But it was too late.
The Liches were already on the verge of disintegration.
Slash!
Her sword pointed to the sky once more.
[Black Sword Flight Technique].
[Wide-area Art.]
[Third Form.]
[True Thunderstrike.]
Crash!
The strike rained down lightning upon the Liches.
“…”
It was her final, all-out blow.
Lee Seonah wiped the blood from her lips and began assessing the aftermath.
—Kieeeek!
—Kyaaaah!
The Liches screamed, their bodies dissolving into black smoke one by one.
Killing one made the next even easier.
And once the Blizzard-casting Lich fell—
The storm ceased.
Her movements were precise, ruthless.
“My lord! I’ll use Sun Consecutive Strike!”
My [Bones] moved elegantly.
“I’ll support with Moonlight Descent!”
Eldrin’s arrows shielded Sunny as he attacked.
As Seonah moved, my Skeletons coordinated with her perfectly, overwhelming the enemy.
Then—
Thud!
After finishing off the last Lich, she landed before me.
“You are… huff… huff…!”
Her breathing was ragged.
“In crisis, you remain calmer than anyone. Your judgment and decisiveness are unmatched. Therefore…”
Lee Seonah looked straight at me.
“…”
I met her gaze.
“I, Black Sword, hereby recommend you to the Dungeon Maker and will continue to support you, just like the Shadow Empress.”
She smiled brightly.
At the same moment—
[Congratulations!]
[Stage Cleared: The Undead Legion!]
[Clear rewards have arrived!]
A message of triumph appeared before my eyes.
A dramatic announcement that I had survived death itself.
Was every dungeon this dramatic?
Or was it just me?
‘Still.’
This time, I truly led the charge.
I wasn’t that far behind a Ranker now.
I had awakened to A-rank and played a key role in slaying the Liches.
‘Of course,’
Without Seonah, I never could’ve done it alone.
But regardless, I had grown.
I had advanced.
From today onward—
I was the Skeleton King.